WCU’s Department of Biology – About Us: Information for Potential Job Candidates

Table of Contents

Who are we?

West Chester University (WCU) is a regional comprehensive public university that is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), and we are a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) with an R2 Carnegie Classification. WCU is about 20 miles west of Philadelphia in West Chester Borough, Chester County, Pennsylvania. University enrollment was 14,449 undergraduates and 2,722 graduate students in 2024, with 604 tenured or tenure-track faculty and 352 instructors. WCU supports more than 118 undergraduate programs, as well as 92 master’s programs and 4 doctoral programs.

The Department of Biology at WCU has 28 faculty: 6 Assistant Professors, 7 Associate Professors, 7 Full Professors, and 8 instructors. As of 2024, we have 627 undergraduate biology students and 24 M.S. students, 71% of whom identify as women, 12% identify as Black, 6% identify as AAPI, and 12% identify as Latino/a/e/x. Many of our students are from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware. Approximately half of our student body commutes. At the university level, ~25% of our student body are first-generation college students.

Within the undergraduate Biology major, students can choose from six concentrations: Integrative Biology (the broadest concentration), Microbiology, Ecology and Conservation, Cell and Molecular Biology, Marine Science, and Medical Lab Science. An option to minor in Biology is also available to WCU students. Master’s students can pursue either thesis or non-thesis options within the Department, and many Biology graduate students are supported with university-sponsored Graduate Assistantships. More information about our undergraduate program can be found here and graduate program can be found here.

All WCU undergraduates receive a liberal arts education, comprised in part by fulfillment of General Education requirements. These requirements support seven goals: (1) communicate effectively, (2) think critically and analytically, (3) employ quantitative concepts and mathematical methods, (4) demonstrate the ability to think across and about disciplinary boundaries, (5) respond thoughtfully to diversity, (6) understand varied historical, cultural, and philosophical traditions, and (7) make informed decisions and ethical choices. Students gain experience working toward these goals, in part, through their General Education coursework, which includes classes that highlight topics such as ethics, diversity, and interdisciplinary thinking, as well as speaking and writing skills. Each general education course supports a subset, not all, of these seven goals.

Union and Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)

As PASSHE faculty, we are employees of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth, and we are unionized. Our union is the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF). As of January 2025, APSCUF is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is publicly available here.

Tenure and promotion

WCU’s Tenure and Promotion Policy , negotiated by APSCUF and WCU administration, stipulates position responsibilities for incoming Assistant Professors hired as Academic Faculty Members (as would be the case in Biology) as:

  • 50% Effective Teaching and Fulfillment of Professional Responsibilities
  • 35% Continuing Scholarly Growth and Professional Development
  • 15% Service

The WCU Tenure and Promotion Policy defines these three categories and associated areas of evaluation for tenure-track faculty members. The Department of Biology also adheres to a Departmental Teacher-Scholar Model (DTSM) that guides faculty members in understanding their role in the Department as it relates to the three evaluation categories above. Per the CBA, all tenure-track faculty are formally evaluated annually in these three areas of responsibility. Such a process provides many opportunities for feedback and discussion related to job performance. The CBA stipulates that tenure-track faculty whose appointments begin in August apply for Tenure and Promotion in the fall of their fifth year of employment.

Physical resources in support of teaching and research

Significant resources are available at WCU to support teaching and research; here we focus specifically on physical space and equipment.

Within the Department of Biology:

  • Molecular biology equipment for common use includes two thermocyclers for PCR and other enzymatic reactions, qPCR machine, Illumina MiSeq NextGen sequencing system, gel-doc apparatus for both DNA gel electrophoresis and Western Blot analysis, flow cytometer (CytoFLEX), microplate readers, refrigerated centrifuges, cold rooms, -80°C freezers, incubators, bead beaters, and shakers.
  • Microscopy equipment includes compound and stereomicroscopes, epifluorescence microscopes, and equipment housed in our CMIRT facility, including scanning and transmission electron microscopes and a spinning disk confocal microscope with TIRF capabilities.
  • Dedicated cell culture room that can be used for the growth, maintenance, and manipulation of various cell lines. It contains one class II biological safety cabinet, one carbon dioxide cell culture incubator, one inverted tissue culture microscope, one antimicrobial bead bath, and one combination refrigerator-freezer. In addition, we have two cell culture hoods with an incubator available for teaching purposes.
  • Shared ecological field equipment is available, including items supporting forest, grassland, stream, and wetland ecosystem sampling for plants, animals, and soils.
  • Well-equipped teaching and research greenhouses are available, as well as growth chambers, drying ovens, muffle furnaces, instruments for leaf area determination, analytical balances, and equipment for processing dry plant/animal/soil tissue.
  • An animal facility that houses mice, zebrafish, and invertebrates. The facility is a non-barrier facility but uses a separate, filtered ventilation system from the rest of the building and has distinct environmental controls that are controlled separately from the rest of the building. This facility is NIH-approved with IACUC and OLAW assurance.
  • A vertebrate collection containing over 2500 specimens, housed within the Department.
  • Well-equipped teaching laboratories; many of our labs make use of the equipment described above.

Elsewhere at WCU:

  • WCU is home to the 126-acre Gordon Natural Area, a protected area containing grassland, forest, stream, riparian, and wetland habitats, available for teaching and faculty research.
  • Up-to-date GIS resources, including ArcGIS and Arc Hydro, are available within the Department of Geography and Planning’s Center for Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Analysis.

 

 

Support for New Faculty at WCU

There are a number of programs to support new faculty at WCU, both within the Department of Biology and through university-level initiatives.

  • During a Biology faculty member’s first year, they are assigned a faculty mentor in the Department of Biology to serve as a point person for any questions they may have as they transition into their new position. Biology faculty have also started a “Tenure and Promotion Coffee Hour” after monthly faculty meetings, which is a casual get-together where faculty can share their experiences with and advice about the tenure and promotion process.
  • Through WCU’s Faculty Mentoring Program, new faculty members can choose to be assigned a mentor outside of their department. New faculty have one-on-one meetings with their mentor throughout their first year, and mentors are available to answer questions and offer advice.
  • All new faculty are invited to attend New Faculty Orientation. This typically occurs before the start of fall semester and covers the basics of being a new faculty member at WCU. There is also a New Faculty Orientation Extension Series throughout the fall, with meetings to share more information.
  • In their first spring at WCU, all new faculty members are enrolled in the Program for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (PETAL). This program meets every Friday afternoon during spring semester and focuses on empowering faculty with knowledge and tools to help them excel at teaching. Faculty receive 3 hours of course release time for their participation in PETAL.
  • There are many internal grant opportunities to which new faculty in the Department of Biology commonly apply. See “Scholarly growth” in the “More information” section below for more details, and this page with faculty grant opportunities and resources.

More information

We wish to share some information to help potential job candidates better understand what their role as a faculty member at WCU would involve. For simplicity, the information below is organized by the three areas of evaluation above: Teaching, Scholarly Growth, and Service. Note that tenure-track faculty appointments are for 9 months; summer salary can be written into grants, if desired.

Teaching

  • Faculty teach 24 contact hours per academic year, comprised of a mix of lecture and laboratory teaching. Contact hours for lectures and laboratory sections are computed identically, where a three hour laboratory section is the equivalent of three faculty contact hours.
  • It is not uncommon for faculty to teach laboratory sections in support of another faculty member’s course; faculty often teach multiple sections of the same lab in a given semester. This happens most often in our lower division courses (i.e., BIO 110, 111, 204, 211, 214, 259, 269), and all faculty teaching such lab sections receive significant support and guidance, which may include weekly lab coordination meetings, assistance with lab setups/materials, and access to teaching materials such as pre-lab presentations.
  • Our undergraduate course catalog can be found here, and our graduate course catalog can be found here.
  • Faculty at WCU may apply for course release time via several internal mechanisms that support teaching, research, and service. Faculty may also acquire course release time with external grant funding.
  • Though never required, faculty may choose to offer summer or winter courses.  Time spent on these courses are additional to the 24 contact hour per academic year teaching load at WCU and are compensated differently per the CBA.
  • Per the CBA and DTSM, mentoring undergraduates and graduate students in research is considered part of a faculty member’s “Effective Teaching and Fulfillment of Professional Responsibilities,” and thus is discussed here:
    • Students may engage in research for credit, under faculty supervision, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
    • Students may also be hired as employees or via the Federal Work-Study program to gain research experience.
    • Students also sometimes serve as volunteers on faculty-led research.
  • As above, the CBA and DTSM also identify academic advising of students as part of one’s “Effective Teaching and Fulfillment of Professional Responsibilities”:
    • Faculty are expected to meet with assigned advisees roughly once per semester to help guide the student’s progression through the Biology curriculum.
    • Other advising-related work may include discussions with students about internship, research, and job opportunities, as well as guiding students toward WCU support services that may be of use.
    • Academic advising typically occurs during the 5 hours of “Student Consultation Hours” (previously referred to as Office Hours) per week that the CBA stipulates faculty maintain during the academic year.
    • Training and support for advising is offered both by WCU and the Department of Biology, and new faculty are slowly onboarded to advising with ~10 advisees during their first year. Advising responsibilities typically increase to 30-40 students over time.

Scholarly growth

  • Per Biology’s DTSM, faculty are expected to maintain active, student-centered research programs, with scholarly work published in peer reviewed journals and presented at academic conferences. Faculty must also pursue both internal and external funding to support their research, and collaborations on such work is encouraged.
  • Biology’s DTSM also emphasizes the connections between teaching and research for Biology faculty. As teacher-scholars, faculty members work to bring research into the classroom and laboratory.
  • Areas of current Biology faculty research can be found here. The Department of Biology has a culture of shared research equipment, lab reagents, and supplies.
  • Substantial support for faculty research is provided by WCU, both via the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) and through a variety of internal grant funding opportunities.
    • The ORSP is our main office for research support. Their website contains information about research at WCU, including a page with faculty grant opportunities and resources. They also oversee our Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).
    • OSRP supports WCU faculty with GrantForward, a large database of external funding opportunities, to find grants relevant for their research. ORSP also offers training opportunities for faculty pursuing both internal and external funding.
    • Internal grant opportunities include the Provost’s Research Grant, the Campus Sustainability Research and Creative Activity Grant, funding opportunities supported by the College of the Sciences and Mathematics (CSM), and the Department of Biology’s Triano Award.
  • Support for students participating in research is also available:
  • Students participating in faculty-led research have many opportunities to present their research at WCU. The CSM offers fall and spring poster sessions.  Additionally, ORSP hosts an annual Research and Creative Activity Day poster/oral presentation session to highlight research across campus.

Service

  • Service is an integral part of faculty responsibilities at the Departmental, College, University levels, and beyond. Faculty have the flexibility to choose service opportunities based on their experience and interests, and many service opportunities involve working as part of a committee.
  • Our current CBA specifies “activities caused by cultural taxation” as a form of service. According to our CBA: “The term Cultural Taxation encompasses historically invisible and/or uncompensated unassigned work done in service of values highlighted in the STATE SYSTEM’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Mission.”  Please see the CBA (page 39) for examples of cultural taxation.
  • Examples of on-campus service opportunities in which WCU faculty engage include:
    • Department of Biology: committees focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion; curriculum; safety; recruitment; student awards; long-range planning
    • College of the Sciences and Mathematics: committees to evaluate internal research proposals; student poster judging; student recruitment
    • University-wide: committees including New Faculty Orientation; Sustainability Council; Faculty Senate; Tenure and Promotion; Curriculum and Academic Policies Council; Sabbatical and Leave; Academic Recognition
  • Faculty also regularly engage in outreach and professional service, including activities such as peer review for journals and external grant proposals, Super Science Saturday at WCU, outreach to local public schools, service to professional organizations, and consulting.

Living in Southeastern Pennsylvania

West Chester University is located in Chester County, which is in Southeastern Pennsylvania. There is something for everyone in this region! Many faculty enjoy the smaller-town feel of West Chester while being very close to the larger City of Philadelphia.

Where do faculty live?

Some faculty in the Department of Biology live in West Chester or in surrounding towns such as East Goshen, West Goshen, Downingtown, and Kennett Square. If you’re looking for a more urban lifestyle, commuting from the City of Philadelphia by car, bus, or train is also feasible. Chester County is home to several top-rated public school districts. A list of all Chester County school districts can be found here.

How do people get around?

Southeastern Pennsylvania has many local and national/international transportation options. To get to campus, faculty walk, take WCU shuttles, drive, or take public transportation, depending on where they live. Most faculty in our department drive and park on campus. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has bus routes through campus. Additionally, there is a SEPTA regional rail train station, Exton station, that is a 10–15-minute drive from campus and also accessible via a free WCU shuttle. Exton has trains that get you to Center City, Philadelphia in under an hour; Exton also services Amtrak's Keystone and Pennsylvanian routes. WCU offers a discounted monthly SEPTA pass to employees.

Philadelphia International Airport is a 45-minute drive from West Chester. Additionally, there are Amtrak stations at 30th St. Station in Philadelphia (~1 hour drive from West Chester) and in Wilmington, Delaware (~30-45-minute drive from West Chester). Amtrak makes many cities along the East Coast easily accessible; for example, Boston, New York City, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. are just a few hours’ journey away.

What do people do for fun?

Chester County, Pennsylvania is an excellent place to live and to raise a family. Our proximity to Philadelphia and Wilmington, as well as the restaurants and events in downtown West Chester, mean there is always something to do. Here are a few of our favorite things about living in this region:

West Chester: Downtown West Chester has dozens of shops and restaurants. During summer weekends, the main street is closed to traffic and becomes a “Streetery” with outdoor dining. Popular annual events include Restaurant Week, World Music Day, Oktoberfest, Christkindlmarkt, and the Christmas Parade, which features WCU’s very own Golden Rams Marching Band. Valley Forge and Brandywine Battlefield, both short drives from West Chester, are also worth visits to learn about Revolutionary War history.

City of Philadelphia: Philadelphia is known for its ensemble arts, museums and mural arts, and vibrant food scene. The city is also known for its rich history; there are many historical sites to visit, including Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the National Constitution Center, and Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. For animal-lovers, the Philadelphia Zoo, America’s first zoo, is a fantastic spot to visit, as is the Adventure Aquarium, which is right across the river in Camden, New Jersey.

Outdoor activities: There are ample opportunities for outdoor adventures in the area. Longwood Gardens is a public garden in nearby Kennett Square (about 20 minutes from West Chester). Longwood’s Christmas display in the winter and fountain shows in the summer are crowd favorites. We also have many parks and nature trails for walks, runs, and exploration; some of our favorites include Natural Lands Preserves, Ridley Creek State Park, East Branch Brandywine Trail and Chester Valley Trail. With our temperate climate, all four seasons are gorgeous to enjoy outside.

Beaches: In the summer, many families visit New Jersey and Delaware beaches. Going “down the shore” is a local colloquialism for going to the beach!

Sports: Philadelphia is a sports town, and many people in Southeastern Pennsylvania (especially our students!) enjoy following the Super Bowl LIX Champion Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, 76ers, and Union. Being a Philly sports fan certainly builds character, but we are all in this together!